A Life Now Past
by Tragedy of the 14th
Summary: An innocent exchange in currency results into an surprising friendship between the mysterious scarlet haired boy, Marian, and the spoiled Mana Walker. The two, unexpectedly drawn to each other, find themselves thrown into a conflict which sends them spiraling into one perilous situation after another. But fate is cruel, and some things just aren't meant to be. ManaxCross
1. Chapter 1 - And so, we met

Chapter 1 - And so, we met

A gentle breeze swept through the half opened window on the second story of a large manor, where two young boys lazily dawdled about in the room, desperately trying to keep themselves from utter boredom, as their mother had refused to allow them outside to play. Another lovely, summer day wasted in the confines of the rather dull manor, much to the disappointment of the two children. Spirited children as they were, they sought some sort of entertainment from what the outside world had to offer, as opposed to the boring familiarity of the house the two were accustomed to. Sure, neither could quite appreciate the rather luxurious lifestyle their family enjoyed, as they had never known anything but it, but even so, they found themselves quite disinterested with the large variety of toys they had played with a thousand times over.

The taller boy, whose lovely hazel hair fell just below his shoulders, moved onto the couch with an exasperated sigh, staring up at the ceiling dejectedly. Mother had promised them they could go out for a ride in the carriage and explore a bit of the town, which was not to far off from their mansion. However, after a change of heart and taking Mana's temperature, she declared him unfit for travel, and as a result, he was again, stuck in the mansion. Just like he was every day. Each time he was offered a chance at going outside, he was only further denied by his worrisome mother, whom constantly watched over him with a little more care than he would prefer. Honestly, he might be frailer when it came to his health compared to other children, but that didn't mean he should stop living life. Again, he let out another sigh, this time louder, causing the slightly shorter boy to look up impatiently from his intense stare on the piano keys.

"Mana." The child snapped a bit irritably, finding his older brother's dejectedness tiresome. "Just get over it, you know how Mother is. I don't know why you actually expected to go out this time, she always finds an excuse to fuss over you or keep you bed-ridden."

Of course, Neah was right, and though Mother had every right to be concerned for his health, it was a habit which Mana loathed, as it prevented him from doing anything fun. Often, though he was the older brother by little over a year, he had to watch from his window as Neah ran about the yard, playing with the neighbor's children or riding horses. While he, Mana, the sickly frail child, remained in his seat from his window, never allowed the privilege to go out to play like a normal child. Why did God have to be so cruel as to curse him with such a weak body?

"I thought perhaps this time, she would see how hard it is for me just to just sit here and watch." Mana trailed off bitterly, slamming a fist against the chair as he raged in his mind over the unfairness of it all.

Shaking his head sympathetically, Neah returned his attention to the small piano which had been given to him for his seventh birthday, playing a short yet sweet tune for Mana. A faint smile managed to flicker across his face, knowing Neah was trying to his best to cheer him up, even if it was his fault that Neah hadn't been able to go into town either.

Well, not entirely his fault, but still.

Resigned to wasting another perfectly beautiful day within the confinements of their home, Mana gazed out at the window, annoyed by the beauty of the day. The light azure sky was perfectly clear of the white blemishes known as clouds, the shining sun blessing the people with its warm, gentle rays, stretching over the land and filling it with life. The chatter of birds and other creatures made its way through the window, evoking within him a longing for what lay beyond his prison, along with a sense of jealousy. He should be free to do whatever he pleased, yet his poor health held him back from even enjoying a beautiful day outside. As another cool gust sailed through the window, it brought the sweet, airy smells of the flora and other aromas of nature, tempting Mana with the wonders he was missing. Simply staring out the window only increased his desire for the outside world, and he forced himself to yank his eyes away from the inviting view. An urge to rebel suddenly came across Mana's mind, as he realized he didn't have to remain within the house if he didn't want to. Why should he be denied a chance at enjoying a lovely day outside? All for some petty reason as his health? It was pure nonsense, and he jumped out of the chair, pushing his head out the window and looking down to see how far of a jump it was to the ground.

Since they were on the second story, Mana doubted any serious injury could come to him if he dared to go through with the plan which was rapidly forming in his mind. He lifted one leg over the ledge, steeling himself for the jump when Neah cried out, startling him and causing him to nearly lose his balance before regaining it after a few, terrifying moments of uncertainty.

"For hell's sake Neah!" Mana snarled angrily, rounding on his brother for nearly ruining everything. "What the devil did you have to cry out for?! I could have fallen and broken something!"

"Well sorry for freaking out! I'm not the idiot who just suddenly started climbing out a window without any explanation! What are you even doing!? Mother will be furious!"

Deciding to ignore his pesky brother, Mana grasped the edge with his hands, pulling his other leg over and sitting with his legs dangling over the outside of the house, trying to judge the best place to aim. Obviously he would want to avoid the ground and brick road which cut across the yard. Or maybe he shouldn't risk it all like that, there was always the tree which grew beside the window he could carefully trapeze over to, but he had no experience climbing trees. For all he knew, it could simply be another trap which would not free him from the ridiculous confines of what he knew as home. Growling in frustration, he racked his mind, trying to make his decision before his Mother found it convenient to check on them.

Neah, at this point, had cautiously walked over to the window where Mana was at, careful to avoid making any sudden movements or noises which could frighten Mana and cause him to fall from his perilous position. Gulping somewhat fearfully, his eyes followed Mana's gaze, looking at the tree, then back to Mana, confusion riddled across his face before he was able to comprehend what Mana was about to do. Mana made a quick glance back at Neah and the room, listening for any tell tale footsteps which warned that their Mother was coming to check on them. Upon hearing nothing, his stare found Neah's, who gave him an encouraging nod, or at least, enough to reassure Mana of what he was about to do. Stretching an arm towards one of the branches, while holding onto the wall for balance with his other, he brought himself onto the branch warily, only to look down and begin to panic as he realized he was hanging just over the brick path. A slip of the fingers and splat, he would be severely injured, and then he would never be able to get out of the house.

Inhaling sharply, he focused his gaze towards the trunk, slowly inching his way toward the tree and grasping the branch which swayed ever so precariously. Before he could chicken out any further, Mana ensured his first grip on the wood was secure, before reaching out with his other limb. He felt his feet slide off the window sill, resulting in him dangling dangerously from the branch, which seemed to hold his weight just fine, though sagging just a bit more due to his added weight, which was thankfully quite light due to his lack of appetite. Thanking his small body for being so light, he made his way up the branch, his leg finding a spot where he could sit nicely where the branch connected to the top of the trunk. Slowly, he reached one hand to grasp firmly onto the trunk, grinning when he managed to pull himself against it, waiting a second to catch his breath, as the effort had cost him all his concentration. Eventually, he started back down the tree, little by little until his feet finally connected with the soft blades of grass.

Unable to hold back a laugh of excitement at his own accomplishment, he remembered he didn't want to be caught outside by one of the servants or his mother, quickly snapping his jaw shut. When he looked up to the window, he found that Neah had disappeared, and the climb down did not look as impressive as it felt from looking upwards. Then again, he had been quite surprised by his own strength, but it also gave him a boost of confidence, excited that he had been daring enough to do such a stupid thing. Typically it was Neah who did outrageous feats, and though his wasn't quite like his little brother's, he was proud of the fact that he had most certainly done something Neah had never done before.

_Well Mother, I guess I'm not so weak after all!_ He thought smugly to himself, jumping when a loud slam of a door alerted him to another's presence. He turned around only to find a breathless Neah, who wore a particularly silly grin as he practically bounced over to Mana.

"Mana, mother is going to kill you!" Neah chirped jovially, ebony eyes glittering with glee as he gazed at his elder brother with a newfound respect, never having thought in a million years that the other would be so daring as to climb out the window.

"Not if she doesn't find out." Mana replied meaningfully, honey colored hues flashing threateningly at Neah's, who only grinned wider and agreed to his statement with a quick nod, dragging a finger across his lips in a sealing motion. "Why don't we go out to town for a little bit? If we're quick, I bet Mother and the others won't even know we left!"

"Sure, but if we do get caught, this was YOUR idea, not mine. I'm a good son." Neah said eagerly, provoking an eye roll on Mana's part, since Neah was far from the "good son" he proclaimed himself. "And I figured we'd be doing something, so I brought some money so we can grab some sweets from that awesome stall I've been telling you about! Here, you can take half of what I got!" A quick search through his pockets and he presented the coins to Mana, dumping them into his out stretched hand.

"Excellent," Mana said as he stowed away the money away in his back pocket, which was barely large enough to fit the coins Neah had given him, though he had no choice, since the front pockets of his dress pants were merely for decoration, annoyingly enough. "now, where do we go from here?"

Neah grasped onto Mana's hand and began to drag him on the brick road away from the mansion, the wild grin on his face contagious as it spread to Mana's face, the two giggling with delight at their escape. "I'll show you Mana! Its not a long walk from here! C'mon!"

* * *

><p>The chatter of animals and sweet smelling aroma of flora from the mansion were long gone and were soon replaced by the cacophony of horses snorting, people ambling about, others trading words with one another, and the ghastly fumes of smog and horses manure. Indeed, the picture of beauty and interest Neah had painted his adventures in the city were quite different from what Mana now saw, and he was a bit disappointed by the fact that no, there were no flying demons or unicorns roaming about the streets. (But then again, he had been rather skeptical of the accuracy of Neah's tales, since Mother always laughed at them.) In fact, he was beginning to feel quite nauseous from the putrid smells which he was constantly surrounded with and the loud rambling of the city, which was rather overwhelming for the boy whom had spent so much of his life in peace and quiet.<p>

However, he had already gotten this far, and though Neah's definition of "not a long walk" had been relative and included nearly more than an hours walk, though his eagerness to explore the unknown had not been slighted in the least. Neah wanted to go through the city quickly, but Mana slowed their progress down by exploring every inch he could, checking out the display of clothes on the window shops, as well as the various wares sold by the merchants on the streets, though he had no intentions of buying anything. His curiosity was met with an exasperated Neah, who had already seen all of it hundreds of times and found nothing interesting with the stores or merchandise.

The younger managed to keep his patience as the originally short trip to the city began to drag on. Mana had Neah wait as he looked around, eager to soak in as much of the city experience as he could. No matter how disgusting it was to breath the filth known as air and the fact that the boisterous noise was beginning to make him hear a constant ringing in his left ear.

Finally, two brothers reached the area of stores Neah had told Mana of. When the candy store was but a block away, Mana developed a particularly painful headache, forcing him to ask Neah to stop.

"Neah, just go and buy the sweets, you know which ones I like. I need a break." Mana replied through gritted teeth, eyebrows furrowed as he grimaced in pain, making sure not to voice aloud just how much pain he was really in. He had had headaches like this plenty of times before, their pain and duration varying every time. Sometimes, they lasted minutes and were relatively painless, while others lasted hours upon hours, endless waves of agony sent his way with no way of relieving himself of his anguish until he passed out. Neah looked as though he was about to protest, though as his gaze swept to Mana's expression, he seemed to realize just how much pain his brother was in. He nodded his agreement swiftly, continuing forward to the street of stores, as Mana backtracked a bit towards a metal wired bench, trudging over wearily.

As he did, a boy with long, scarlet hair passed by him, roughly bumping into his shoulders and causing him to nearly stumble to floor, though he managed to retain his balance at the last moment. About to growl his annoyance and continue on, he realized that his back pocket felt a bit lighter, and when he reached back into it, he found nothing.

"Hey, thief!" He yelped as he made a quick turn and began to run towards the red streak of color which pushed its way through the crowd, the thief realizing he had been found and making a run for it. Mana began to push his way through the crowd, crying out all sorts of things to the redhead, as well as forgetting the painful headache he had been gripping over just moments of ago. The chase quickly became all too much for the boy who had barely had any experience with the outside world, his breath coming short and his legs tiring. The fiery colored hair continued to race through the crowd, becoming increasingly more difficult to see as Mana's sprint became slower and slower.

Suddenly, he lost all sight of the mugger, and he nearly tripped over someone, muttering a form of apology as he continued onwards. However, his legs screamed with exhaustion, as did his lungs, unable to supply him with enough oxygen or energy to pursue the other boy. Giving up, he began to make his way back in the direction he had come from, defeated and tired, when he heard a loud shout from behind.

He stopped short, turning to find a familiarly dressed man walking towards him with the runaway boy, who was being dragged by his collar. Though he struggled valiantly against the constable, the man kept a firm grip on the young criminal, his hard gaze meeting Mana's stiffly as he stopped in front of Mana, who was still slightly breathless.

"Did this brat steal from you sir?"

The way the question was phrased and said in such a cold tone made Mana hesitate, suddenly fearing the officer himself as he looked up at the other with a frightened gulp. The officer stared down at him, his height considerably abnormal compared to typical humans, or at least, all the humans Mana had met so far. The sepia hues bored into his with such bleak frigidness, that Mana forgot his anger at the other boy immediately. Surely the other, who continued to fight against the officer's grip even as the constable waited for Mana's answer, would be terribly punished by this man if Mana admitted that he had indeed stolen from him.

No, he wouldn't tell. He didn't trust those deceitful orbs of darkness which gazed down at him so cruelly, he could only imagine the torment and beating the other boy would suffer because of his own selfishness.

Besides, it was only a few pounds, so it wasn't something worth pursuing anyway.

"No, I'm sorry officer, he didn't steal from me. We were pretending I was a rich man and my friend here, uh..., Marian!, uh, took a few of the pounds my mother gave me. And then I was the officer who chased after him after he had stolen the money, though I didn't realize our little game would cause such a commotion. I'm sorry for making you run after him."

It was the best Mana could come up with despite his history of telling horrible lies, though the look he earned from the other boy was priceless, his jaw slack with shock as his bright, rouge eyes looked at him in disbelief, clearly not expecting such a response from him. His astonishment from the statement had caused him to stop fighting against the grip of the officer, as said officer only glared harder at Mana, thinking over his lie carefully, as though he had any reason to suspect anything against the boy.

"Fine. But please refrain from causing more trouble kids, I have a job to do and don't need pesky brats like you pretending like an actual crime occurred. Understand?" The officer let go of "Marian", who was still stunned, and stood limply in the position he was left in, as the constable stalked off, back hunched intimidatingly.

Mana grabbed the other boy by his arm, pulling him in the direction of the iron bench of where the crime had occurred, to discuss what had just gone down. When they were just about there, the other boy pulled his arm away, finally snapping out of the stupor he had fallen into, rouge eyes glaring at Mana suspiciously, not trusting him.

"Why di' ya lie to tat oficer? Weren' ya just proclaimin me a t'ief a min ago?" The other boy spoke in a rather thick irish accent, his english a bit difficult to understand through it.

"I don't really know, it was only a couple of pounds and I didn't like the way that officer looked at me. He looked like he wouldn't have a problem beating a kid up." Mana replied honestly, suddenly a bit shy as he looked downwards, wondering exactly why he had done that. He didn't know this boy, so why should it matter to him?

But it did.

With a snort, the red head took a seat on the bench, "Wouldn' be da first tim he di', won' be da las." The tinkling of the coins clashing together in his pocket caused Mana to twitch slightly, before taking a seat next to the other, again, keeping his eyes downcast.

"Say...what's your name?"

"Dun haf un."

"Pardon?"

Sighing, he just shook his head, before scrunching his face together in concentration. "Don't. Have. One." He said each word slowly and carefully, as though he were trying to squash his irish accent and make himself clear to Mana's ears, who wasn't accustomed to anything other than plain British English.

"Oh, well then, what do people call you?"

"Kid. Brat. Fucker. Double Crosser. Idiot."

Clearly he wasn't going to get anywhere with this. "I guess I'll just call you Marian for now." Mana sighed exasperatedly, running a hand through his long locks of hair and pushing them out of his face, wishing for some sort of ribbon to pull his hair out of his face.

"Ya weird kid." Marian grumbled irritably, as he turned his face away from Mana's view, the tint of pink highlighting his cheeks ever so slightly going unnoticed by Mana.

"Am not! You are! Who has ridiculously bright red hair like you?! Is that even real or is that a wig?" Mana retorted back smartly, though he couldn't help but stare at just how lovely the hair would be if it were washed clean. It held a particularly foul odor which he wasn't going to bother asking why it smelled of horse manure, he didn't need to know the details. However, even the city's filth and crud could not completely tarnish away the brilliant red color of the hair, tempting Mana to reach out and touch it.

"It rea alrih- OIOIOI ME HAIR! STOP YA BLOODY BASTAR!" Marian yelled a bit too loudly for Mana, who winced and moved back as Marian backed away to stroke his hair, as though to soothe the sharp pain which had run through his head when Mana had pulled on a lock of it. He thought he had touched it rather gently, but clearly that was not the case.

Clearing his throat, he quickly bowed his head in repentance, apologizing for hurting Marian before continuing, "Oh, I guess it is real, that's cool though. It's really pretty, wow, I've never seen anyone with such pretty red hair, especially a guy with pretty red hair."

"Di ya relly haf to do tat? Hurt like hell. An ya one ta talk, stupi ey an all." Pointing at Mana's eyes, he grinned as the other's mouth twisted into a pout, said golden eyes fixed on the scarlet with irritation.

"Yeah yeah, sorry. And my eyes aren't stupid! Not my fault I was born with a weird eye color!" It was something he had always been rather self conscious of, as it was difficult enough to make friends with anyone else, since he was already sickly, and for his eyes to be gold made others even more reluctant to approach him. He had been called a demon quite a few times already, typically by old ladies or gossiping females who were rather superstitious and had nothing to do with their day other than to talk about everyone and anyone.

"I jus kidin, they nice color, like sun." Blinking, Mana was dazed, he never received a nice compliment about his eyes before at all. It made him feel quite embarrassed, though he made sure to turn away and pretend as though he was suddenly interested in the flock of birds which had flown near them, brushing his hair forward to cover the blush which flushed across his face. "I-i guess, I never thought of them as that..." He managed to stutter out, his eyes never straying from a fat pigeon which began to peck at some bread crumbs, as though it was the most fascinating thing he had ever seen. Though to be truthful, a part of him was intrigued by just how fat the bird was.

"MANA! I GOT THE SWEETS!"

A familiar voice shouted and caused the pigeon to scatter, retreating into its haven of azure. Sighing, Mana looked up to see his brother running towards him with a rather large bag of treats, the usual wide grin stretched across his face.

"Who tat? Frien?"

"Brother. Younger brother. He'll want to know who you are."

"Dun 'are."

Neah reached the two of them, a bit breathless as he stopped, giving himself a moment to regain his breath before speaking quickly, "Mana! The sales person was really nice and gave me extra so we can even save some for tonight. By the way, who's this?"

"This is, uh, Marian. He doesn't have a name apparently, but that's the name I gave him." It was the best explanation he could give. Neah would kill him if he knew he had lost the money he had given him, it wasn't his allowance, but Neah's. And he was giving Neah's allowance to some poor boy on the streets whose name he didn't even know. Brilliant. Hopefully he wouldn't be too mad at him, since he was going to have to explain why he didn't have the share of money given to him and without an excuse to give him.

"Hi Marian! My name is Neah, and you look like a girl with your hair that long!" Neah greeted Marian, all smiles as he offered a hand to the other, as if they had known each other for years instead of seconds.

"Fuk of bra't." Marian easily spat as he narrowed those lovely rouge eyes, expression disapproving as he ignored the hand offered to him, his irish accent doing the swear words justice, and he spoke them as though they were typical phrases people swapped with each other when conversing.

Neah, being the little brat he was, began to point and said in turn, "OOooh you swore!"

"Fukin hel." The red head crossed his arms, flipping Neah off before settling a glare at a light post. Mana cast him a sympathetic look, his brother wasn't exactly the easiest of people to talk to, and often came off quite immature and stupid whenever he was excited. And he was always excited.

"OoOOooh you said another-"

"Neah, shut up."

"You meanie!" The younger brother cried out childishly, the bag of sweets nearly forgotten as he shook his fist in anguish, feigning hurt from Mana's words, though the impish grin which crept up his face quickly rendered his acting useless.

Mana looked over at Marian, whom was beginning to take out the coins in his pocket, eyelids narrowed guiltily as he thrust his hand in Mana's direction, refusing to meet the others eyes. "Here, tak it, dun' nee no monay." With a frown, Mana shook his head, forcing the rough, dirtied fingers to curl over his palm and secure the coins place, "Seriously, just keep it. You already went through all the trouble of getting it. Besides, I don't need it." Nodding, Marian slid the metal back into his pocket, looking a great deal more relieved than he had a second ago. Whatever he needed the money for, it was for sure something quite dire, such as food or clothing. Then again, the state of his clothes were far from up kept, and had small, frayed holes all over his thin, gray jacket.

"Say," Neah interrupted, shushing Mana when he opened his mouth to yell at Neah, since he had been about to speak, "Marian, what brings you here?"

The blank gaze which Neah received was enough of an answer, so with a quiet gulp, he managed to force that sneaky little grin of his upon his face. "Okay, don't answer that then. Want some of the candy I got? The store lady gave me extra because she thought I was "the cutest little angel she had ever seen come into her store!" Mana couldn't help but snort at his brother's boasting, quite sure the lady had said no such thing, and had only given him more candy and that small compliment as incentive for him to continue coming to her store. Though he would keep quiet for Neah's sake, since he didn't want to get an earful of how he was just saying that because he was jealous of Neah's good looks.

"Na, I' goo'd." Marian gripped as he began to twirl one of the strands of scarlet locks, his stomach growling as he did so, as he ignored Neah and the candy he was being offered, though the look of hunger which gleamed in his eyes was unmistakably there.

"Oh for christ's sake." Mana grumbled as he snatched the bag of candy away from Neah, paying no heed to his little brother's whining as he reached into the bag and grabbed a handful of lollies. "Just take them already." With the handful of lollies, he dumped them on Marian's lap, who wavered for a moment, his hand instinctively reaching for the sweets, but his pride prevented him from taking them. After a moment of fighting with whatever demon had possessed him from not taking the delicious candy, he snatched them up, freeing it of its wrapper before sticking it into his mouth, eyes widening at the sugary taste that exploded his taste buds, a look of satisfaction appearing on Marian's face as he savored in the succulent tang of sweet grape.

"Fhamks" The redhead managed to mumble as he sucked lavishly on the lolly, Mana grinning widely at his success, digging in the bag for his own candy and beginning to chew on the sour gummies he loved oh so much.

"No problem, I bet you've never had much, so its the least I can do." Mana responded contently, having never seen anyone eat candy with such delight.

"Souldn' it be meh apologiz'in, no't ya rewardin me?" Marian asked as he gnawed hungrily at the hard, sticky contents.

"Well, you only did what you had to do. Besides, its not like you stole much, and its not even my money, its Neah's."

Neah, who had been watching their interaction with a smirk, gaped at Mana in shock, aghast by his lost allowance."You gave him MY money?! I've been saving that up for weeks Mana!"

"And he's been doing god knows what just to get a quarter of that while you didn't do anything for it." Mana snapped, irritated, though he knew in the back of his mind he had had no right to give it to Marian, but Neah had given him the money to do what he wanted, and he never said he had to give it back.

"Aw! You're mean, Mana."

The sound of a large chapel bell rang through the air with such distinction, it suddenly occurred to Mana that he was not supposed to be on streets, and by now, Mother had surely discovered that they had been missing.

"Damn, we're going to get in so much trouble, c'mon Neah, we better head back before Mother calls the station to report we're missing!"

"Oh alright, bye bye Marian. Guess we'll see you lat- hey! Why don't you come live with us? We have lots of space for you!" Neah turned to Mana, coal black eyes filled with excitement at the idea of taking in this stranger, who they had barely met less than half an hour ago, into their house. The fit their mother would have would surely not be pleasant, but then again, she was never one to turn children who needed a helping hand away.

"I don't need your help or pity, rich brat!" Marian leered in a near perfect English accent as he stood up, wiping the dirt off his pants, red eyes glaring down at Neah cockily, daring him to challenge him. Mana, however, knew they had to get going immediately, or they risked getting in more trouble than they already were. "Come now Neah, he's fine on his own. See you later, Marian?"

"Yeah." The other grumbled as he watched the two brothers run off, Neah turning around to wave back at the redhead as Mana continued to drag him back in the direction of their home.

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><p><strong>AN;** _Whew, finally got this completed. Thanks again khooxp for agreeing to beta this, I'm sorry the draft I sent you was so messy, I wrote a lot of that when I was half asleep xD. So yeah, here's the fic I've been planning in my head for months now! I'll try to update it monthly, though school is starting to get pretty busy, so I might disappear for a few months at a time. Enjoy! _


	2. Chapter 2 - Forsaken Child

Chapter 2 - Forsaken Child

Mana Walker was sleeping comfortably in his spacious bed, snuggling up against one of the feathered stuff pillows from France, a soft sigh escaping him as he dreamed peacefully, undisturbed by the growing racket of noise from outside his room. As the noise increased in volume, his eyes twitched, groaning as he flipped on to his side, but refusing to get up and acknowledge the sound of people speaking. Busy with business affairs and outside activity, he'd barely held a wink of sleep that month, and so he had requested the servants to not wake him up. However, it seemed that like usual, he would not be able to get any of sleep he had planned on getting back.

Trying to salvage the next few moments of sleep, he used the pillow to cover his head, squeezing his eyes shut tightly. His efforts, however, were defeated by a long bang on his door, a familiar yell from the other side prompting him to wake up, proclaiming something about there being a big day and urging him to wake up.

"Master Walker, the Young Master Walker request your presence, sir." A meek voice traveled through the door, provoking another tired groan from Mana.

"Tell him to go away. I've barely any sleep within the last week."

"Oh for hell's sake." Snapped an irritated voice, the door swinging open as the owner of the voice, Neah Walker, stepped through the entrance, beside him their butler, Franklin. Mana uncovered his head, a scowl reaching across his face in Neah's direction, golden slits narrowed in annoyance upon being forced to awaken. Drowsiness prevented him from fully inspecting his brother, blinking as it slowly dawned on him that his brother was fully dressed in his best gentlemen clothing, hair slicked back perfectly aside from one strand which traveled down the side of face. Impeccable care had been taken to press the suit until no wrinkles were visible, the pants falling at just the right length and his shirt tucked in, along with the coat which fitted him perfectly, though he seemed to be missing the tie. Instead, he had traded it for a particularly special red ribbon from a friend of theirs'. As he observed his little brother, he arched an eyebrow in his direction, wondering what the occasion called for for Neah to dress so formally.

"Eh, Neah, why'd you have to wake me up? I'm bloody tired. And why are you dressed up like that, off to meet the Queen?" He snorted as he shook his head, receiving a disdainful glare from Neah, who adjusted his coat.

"You need to wake up because of the party, or did you forget?"

Mana blinked, trying to recall when he had been scheduled to attend a party, though he could remember nothing from his last look at his schedule. "I'm a bit out of sorts this morning, however, I don't recall there being a party today..."

Rolling his eyes, Neah crossed his arms against his chest impatiently, "Of course there's a party. Today's my 18th birthday, remember?"

"Today!? Oh my god Neah, I'm so sorry!" Mana yelped as he immediately jumped out of bed and rushed to his closet, drowsiness all but forgotten as he tried to pull together a quick outfit to go out in. Having been so ridiculously busy with external affairs such as dealing with the mansion and their income, Neah's birthday had completely slipped his mind. Unfortunately, he also had no present to bestow his beloved younger brother, whom deserved something specifically special for his coming of age. Christ, he'd need to find something in London quickly, or heaven forbid he'd go to the party without something to give to Neah.

Neah pouted, watching Mana grab his clothes and strip of his nightgown, the butler rushing out of the room to go grab his trench coat from the coat rack downstairs. "Honestly, I know you've been busy, but to forget my own birthday...its on the same day every year."

Pulling his arms through a dress shirt, he cast Neah an apologetic look, before quickly pulling on his pants, nearly falling to the floor as he lost his balance, trying to force one of his legs through one of the holes. A few moment later, he was fixing himself in front of the mirror, pulling a brush through his long, tangled mahogany lockets.

"I know I know. I'm sorry Neah, I really didn't mean to, but I need to go into town real quick to pick up a package." And grab your present, he thought the last part to himself, grabbing a scarlet ribbon and using it to tie his beautiful hair up into a proper ponytail. Turning for one last look through the mirror, he fixed himself accordingly, before making a swift turn to Neah, pecking him on the forehead. "I'll be right back. Just tell me when the party is so I can plan my timing."

"It starts promptly at 5 o'clock, so you better not be late. You'll need to be here earlier though to help greet our guests, and for any last minute details." Neah said as Franklin walked in with Mana's trench coat, holding out so he could insert his hands into the coat sleeves. "Oh, if you have time, try to find Marian and see if he's coming tonight. I sent him a few messages, but he never replied back. Make sure he comes, I'm not going to spend my time later on with a bunch of snobby old rich folk who are just talking to me so they can get a share of my money." Neah sniffed, evoking a smirk from Mana, who retorted as he buttoned up his trench coat.

"Oh please, we're both snobby rich people, just not old. Though we're getting there." Mana grabbed his bag, walking out the door and down the spiraling stairs to the parlor, where their mother was waiting. Mana walked up to her and bowed, taking her hand elegantly, placing a soft kiss to it as he did.

"Good morning Mother. I would love to stay and chat, since we haven't in ages, but I must leave for a bit before the party."

A gentle smile graced her features as she caressed her beloved son's cheek, "Good morning to you too, my Darling. And do take your time, I know how my boys are, always rushing about and never standing still for a moment." Mother replied lightly, pressing her lips to his forehead and rubbing her thumb against his cheek, before letting her hand fall shortly after that. Neah rushed into the room as she did, a silly smile creeping up his face as he made his way over to his mother.

"Morning Mother!" Neah cajoled as Mana moved aside so Neah could have some time with Mother to himself, dipping his head toward them slightly before making to the door. Out of habit, he reached for his hat on the rack near the door, only to remember that it had gotten lost in the wind the other day. As he stepped outside, a sharp blast of cool wind blew directly in his face, squeezing his eyes shut as he struggled to get the door to close. Fall had settled in quite quickly, the temperature lowering drastically and the trees around the mansion covered in speckles of glittering gold, dull brown, and bright scarlet. The sky was clear, crystal blue, thin wispy clouds freckling the sky with its presence. The grass which grew between the stone path fading into a rather ghastly shade of brown, the cold draining the precious warmth from the sun which it needed to live. Waiting for the carriage to pull up, he watched the wind sway the field of golden wheat not to far off from the mansion, the golden vegetation flowing peacefully with the wind. It was peculiar why wheat grew in that area, seeing as no one tended to the fields and the soil had been declared infertile. And yet it grew, without rhyme or reason, every year, there was an abundance of golden fields, a sight for all to behold.

The carriage arrived shortly, Mana stepping into it as the driver opened the door for him, politely shutting it before quickly running off to the front of vehicle. Fortunately for Mana, he wasn't in any particular hurry, figuring that it was about 10 in the morning due to the location of the sun, more than enough time to get to the city and find a present for Mana, along with the few other errands he had been tasked with. Settling in, the sharp flick of the reins signaled the horses to move, trotting at a decently fast pace away from the manor and onto the stone path. With the manor beginning to shrink into the distance, Mana reached into a pocket, finding a piece of paper in there which he did not remember putting there at all. Frowning, he inspected it and found a strange symbol on it, music notes forming a circular pattern, its unique form prompting some sort of vague recollection of a memory, but he couldn't seem to quite grasp it.

His fingers traced over the image, wondering what the meaning behind it could possibly be, since it was beyond him. He was entranced by it, the simplistic beauty of the symbols which he could not decipher prodding his own curiosity for its hidden meaning. Perhaps he should have Marian take a look at it, since it could be a street thing. Then again, how he got something like that in his pocket was still a bit peculiar, since this was the first time he'd worn his trench coat in well over a month. _Maybe it was one of the servants._ He mused over to himself, carefully placing the design back into his pocket.

Sooner than he could have hoped for, the carriage came to a stop, the door opening and revealing his first stop. The postal service. Exiting it with a quick dismissal towards the driver, he entered the store, the cling of a bell being sounded through it as it signified the arrival of a customers. Currently, there was no worker manning the counter, so he waited patiently, every so often turning his head to check the clock. As much time as he had at his disposal, he'd rather not waste a minute of it waiting, but rather, using it to find Neah's present. He hadn't the slightest clue of what to get his younger brother, nor any inkling of what would be deemed appropriate for someone coming of age. Typically he just bought him a pound of chocolates from his favorite chocolatier, which always pleased Neah. However, chocolates seemed like a most improper gift to bestow someone on such an important year. One was only 18 for a whole, splendid year, then you would move past that stage and onto older years, which, in Mana's opinion, weren't quite as good.

The years had passed by all to quickly, having reached 19 years of age in what seemed to be a blink of an eye. He'd learned ever so much, especially after his little escapade, he'd been given more time to explore the outside world, which did his physical health good. As the years flew by, he found his strength grew, and at one point or another, ceased being the sickly elder Walker brother, but the handsome one whom was of marrying age. Truly, he held no interest in marriage, nor of women in general, though when he expressed this, quite a good many had simply laughed at him. You'll meet her one day. Everyone says that at one point or another. They told him with a hearty slap on the back, and though he smiled and laughed it off with him, he knew it wasn't the same.

_It must be nice, to have someone you love._ He thought absentmindedly to himself, nearly saying it aloud. As he thought this, a man returned from the back of the store, rushing over to the counter.

"Ah, Sir Walker, is it? We have the package right in the back waiting for you. We do, however, require a signature for this."

"Of course, and please, its just Mana." Mana replied as he took the parcel which was extended to him, taking a quill from the counter and dipping it into the nearby inkwell. The worker merely smiled, shaking his head. "I apologize Sir Walker, but its simply how we're required to address our clients. The manager would have my tail if I dared to not use formalities."

Mana shrugged, finishing his signature and leaving the paper to follow the man out back, the package much larger than he had previously envisioned. "Are you sure this is the correct package? It does seem rather...large."

"Indeed Sir, only one with Walker on it. Mind you, I could have sworn the thing was shaking when I got it, so there might be something else in there."

Well, he hadn't been the one to order it, it was something Neah had asked him to pick up a few days ago in the midst of all the chaos. Whatever it was, hopefully it was nothing they couldn't handle.

"Mm, I'll keep that in mind. Is it alright if I leave it here for the time being and pick it up later? I was expecting to carry it, and I don't fancy walking around London with an enormous box in my arms."

The worker nodded eagerly, "Of course Sir, its quite alright. I'll be sure to keep an eye on it too. Don't want whatever's in it escaping." With that, he let out an exuberant chuckle, which Mana joined in with. Thanking him, he left the place and began to wander the streets, particularly interested in the wares the stalls offered. Just looking at them reminded him of the little adventure he had had when he was younger, amazed by everything the city had to offer. It made him smile just thinking about how awed he had been at everything, a child whose world had been expanding at a rapid pace.

He glanced over most of them, dissatisfied with the cheap products and overly priced items, like a wooden whistle was worth several pounds. There were quite a few people already lined up to pay for it, falling for the cunning merchant whom smiled knowingly, having successful tricked more fools into paying for such low quality merchandise. As his gaze searched for something interesting, his eyes found themselves on a young lady behind a jewelry stall calling out and proclaiming a sale they were having. One they seemed to have every day they saw someone new who they could trick into buying a necklace at a "bargain". However, a certain necklace caught his eye, a silvery rosary which would look quite a nice on a certain friend of his. The price, however, was another matter, and he was tempted to walk away. But it really would look quite nice on him...He thought, moving closer the inspect it, which the girl at the store immediately pounced on him.

"Welcome good Sir! Ah, I see our rosary has caught your eyes, excellent choice! As of late, its been quite popular with the ladies, and its just your luck, but we happen to be having a sale on these rosaries! Normally they're 24 pounds, but today and only today, they're going for 18 pounds!" She proclaimed with more vigor necessary, fluttering her eyelids crazily at him, bright brown eyes eagerly searching his face and inviting him to purchase it.

Coolly, he picked it up and looked it over, before replying, "I pass this area quite often, just how often do you have these sales, hmm? I'll pay 12 and not a pound more."

The enthusiastic smile she wore faltered for a moment, before she quickly regained her composure, responding in turn. "Sir, we don't lower our prices here, so either move along or pay what we have set as the price." The tone was much too cheerful for Mana's taste, who merely shrugged, knowing he could probably find another stall which would be more than willing to give him a better bargain for it. Though he did have to admit, it was a pretty rosary. Turning his back, he began to walk off, the lady's expression turning aghast as she realized he was following her suggestion. Unwilling to let a customer get away, she called to him hurriedly, reluctantly admitting that they could go lower if he insisted so much. He hid the smirk which threatened to flash across his face, knowing how to work these people to get what he wanted. Too many a times had he been taken advantage of, and he had had more than enough lectures from Neah to not to listen to them when they tried to make him overpay.

She tried to get him to only go for half, but he denied anything other than 12 pounds, so she unwillingly handed him the rosary, which was quite nicely packed into a little box. He thanked her, which she gave him a rather sullen look, arousing a chuckle out of him as he walked off. He still had to find Neah's gift. Now, what should he get him?

He pondered this to himself as he walked through the various shops, passing by a particular coat store which he was ever so found of. Passing by it reminded him of a conversation he had held with Neah not too long ago.

* * *

><p><em>"How come you got a trench coat and not me?" Neah whined as they walked down the dirt road to the manor, coal eyes glaring at him, his mouth twisted into a small pout.<em>

_"It was a birthday present from Mother. Besides, if you want one so much, then buy one yourself." Mana retorted as he kicked at a stone on the path, as it traveled down much further than he expected. Neah let out an exasperated sigh, shaking his head in frustration._

_"But it won't be the same you idiot."_

_Snorting, Mana threw a light punch at Neah's head. "There is no difference." He declared, as though to finish the argument, though there was no room for any to begin with._

_"Of course there is! The difference is it being a considerate gift from someone else who thought you would like it, and a gift to yourself, something you knew already would like it!"_

_"Neah, you're not making any sense."_

_"No, you're just stupid!"_

_"Say that again?!"_

_"AH! Don't kill me Mana!"_

* * *

><p>A fond smile crept up his face at the memory, knowing exactly what he was going to get Neah. The store was surprisingly helpful in finding the perfect coat for Neah, which happened to be a very similar style to the one he had gotten. The lady who was helping him giggled something about them looking even more like twins with the trench coats, but he didn't quite catch all of it. She packed it up in a nice box and wrapped it nicely for him, dressing it with a lovely red bow, complimenting the lovely shade of olive she had chosen as the wrapping paper.<p>

After thanking her kindly, along with a "small" tip for her services, he began making his way to the less wealthy part of London. He was fortunate that he'd never had someone take a swing at him or try to rob him, aside from that one time. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that Marian was someone to be feared in that community. Though his friend didn't tell him, he'd heard the rumors of his strength, as well as his less benevolent attitude he often displayed towards anyone he didn't particularly like. However, he'd also seen the side that others would never had thought existed, the warmth of his caring, gentle side. Especially towards children, whom were constantly being taken under his jurisdiction and cared for better than any orphan in a orphanage would have. As much as Marian attempted to hide his kindness with a gruff, stoic exterior, Mana knew the real him, as did Neah.

Over the years, they'd become closer and closer, the three boys. Although most of their interaction involved messing around and bickering amongst each other, it was one of the few friendships he genuinely treasured. He knew if he was ever in desperate need of help, Marian would be there for him, and he for him.

As he walked through the grimy streets, he held his breath as the putrid smell of urine and feces entered his nostrils, the overwhelming odor always taking him by surprise. He wondered how anyone could ever get used to the horrid scent, since even after going back and forth through the area for years, he was still equally appalled and disgusted. A small group of children were huddled under a thin blanket, large holes littering the sheet, and so much that it could hardly be called a blanket. Their small bodies shook with each gust of frigid air, pale bodies gaunt with sorrow and agony. Honestly, how anyone could see these poor little ones and not feel pity was beyond him, and he found himself walking up to them and taking out twenty shillings. One child, whose eyes were sunken into his skull and looked more dead than alive, reached weakly for the small donation, the tiniest of what appeared to be a smile crossing his face. It could hardly be called a smile, as he only had the energy to slightly curve his lips, and from what he could see, he had no teeth.

"T'anks." He managed to croak out, taking the money and sinking back into his stationary state, eyes closed and huddling even closer to the two other children. Mana pursed his lips, not wanting to leave out of fear they wouldn't be alive once he came back. But Marian's place wasn't too far from there...

"Hey, do you want a warm place for the night?" Mana asked, offering his best reassuring smile he could, the boy's eyes creaking open warily, not trusting him. Of course he had no reason to trust him, the only thing he could trust was the money he had in his hands. In their world, adults were creatures of distrust, those who tricked them into working endless hours and suffering under the hands of cruel beatings. But more often than naught, they were so desperate that they'd take the hand of that stranger, only to be tricked yet again. It was cruel world, with a cruel God who saw all this with an ignorant eye.

The stripling could barely utter another word, much too tired to muster any strength, though a slight nod of his head gave Mana the okay. _Please know I mean no harm._ Mana thought desperately as he easily carried all three children in his arms. It scared him to realize just how little they weighed, and the fact that he could easily wrap his arms around their bodies, all bones and skin but not an ounce of fat.

When had been the last time they had a complete meal?

The other two clung to him, small whimpers at being moved, but the warmth his body emitted bringing them to cling tightly to him. He walked briskly in the direction of Marian's flat, glaring at anyone who dared to give him a second look. Time seemed to creep on as he walked, trying to speed up his pace as the freezing bodies which clung to him seemed to grow more limp in his arms.

At last, after what must have seemed an eternity, he found himself ramming his foot against the wooden door. A female was the one to open the door, slightly taking Mana by surprise, but he entered regardless and moved to the couch near the blazing fire. Marian, who was sitting on another couch, immediately running up to take one of the kids and brought him close to the fire, the warmth creating an immediate reaction within the child. Her cheeks began to turn slightly rosier, the ghostly pale color her skin held turning to a healthier shade of cream.

"Whose are these?" Marian asked as he got a blanket from the couch and wrapped the girl he had in it.

"Found them on the street. I wasn't going to leave them here, but I was worried they would be gone by the time I came back." Mana responded as he took of his coat and wrapped it around the two boys, whom wrapped it around themselves and edged closer to the fire. "Sorry."

Marian snorted, shaking his head as he went in the kitchen to scrape together some semblance of a meal. "Don't apologize, I'd rather take care of them this way than bury them." The statement caused a shiver the crawl up Mana's spine, who knew most kids were just left to rot on the streets.

"Well!" The lady whom had opened the door suddenly exclaimed, turning her face towards Mana, flashing him a rather attractive smile. Or what he assumed to be one. Her attire was rather unfit for the weather, wearing quite revealing clothes for a young lady, assuming she was as young as she looked. "I never knew the famous Cross, self proclaimed scientist and doctor who's willing to take anyone for a high price, took little urchins off the street and sheltered them for free."

Mana tried to conceal the anger which flashed across his face, his fiery tongue lashing out before he could stop it. "He may be a doctor, but that doesn't make him heartless. Besides, what would you know of him?" She merely raised an eyebrow at his outburst, rolling her pale blue eyes which glittered with faint annoyance. "It was sarcasm. But pushing that aside, Cross, you never told me you were friends with such a handsome man, especially one as wealthy as him." Amusement was hinted in her tone as she gave Mana a suggestive look.

Seriously, he didn't get women at all.

"The less you know Maria, the better. Last thing I need is you to go gossiping to your friends about me and having my reputation ruined. And if you can talk, that must mean your throat is better, no?" His voice traveled through the kitchen, muffled slightly by the wall. In response, the woman, Maria, sighed and shook her head distastefully, muttering something under her breath. Suddenly, she opened her mouth and began to sing, holding a perfectly pitch note for a moment, awing Mana as he was completely enraptured by her lovely voice. However, it was cut short as she began coughing violently, stroking her neck as though to soothe whatever pain that seemed to be tormenting her. "N-no, s-still, ba-bad." She managed to croak out, eyes filled with pain.

A loud sigh could be heard from the kitchen, Marian finally coming out of the room with a plate full of small snacks, mostly crackers and what appeared to be some sort of mush. "I'll try and see why your throat is still acting up, but for now, just take your usual. Try to remember when this started occurring and what you had done differently." Nodding, Maria stood up, walking towards Marian and giving his cheek a quick peck, a brief flash of something tightening around Mana's heart. How odd.

The moment she closed the door, Mana began to snicker, taking the plate from Marian and setting it in front of the kids, who began to pick at the food. "So, you're going by Cross now eh? What happened to just straight up Marian?" He asked in a teasing voice, eyes glimmering in amusement as Marian flushed, though narrowing his lovely scarlet eyes at Mana, irritated. "It's just a name Mana." Of course he would avoid the question, provoking a purr of amusement on Mana's part, receiving another dangerous look from Marian, which he knew all too well was not serious in the least. Or at least, not when it was directed at him.

"So, why did you come here? Not to just drop off some kids, I hope." Observant as ever, Mana groaned, "Neah was worried you never got his birthday invitations, so he sent me to verify that you were coming. If not, I'm assuming I'm required to drag you to it." Making himself comfy on the couch, he kept his eyes trained on the children, the warmth of the fire seeming to slowly bring them back to life, cheeks turning a much pleasanter shade of rosy pink, the food which had been given to them slowly disappearing for the platter. Marian typically allowed the kids to stay as long as they liked, so long as they caused no trouble. He'd help them find a decent home then move onto the next kid, though always making sure to check back up on all of them at some point or another.

Marian chewed on his bottom lip, pondering something before slipping off into the next room, returning with a simple brown box. "I meant to respond, but I didn't have the money to send a letter after I'd bought his present...but don't tell him that. He still gets on my fucking nerves." Mana laughed much louder than he intended to, again, Marian casting an annoyed look at him, before looking away with a huff of exasperation. "Ah, that's good. What did you get him?"

"Nope, sorry Walker, but I'm not telling you anything. Your brother might ask and use his puppy eyes to milk it out of you." Grinning, Marian stepping closer to Mana, ruffling his hair fondly, Mana smiling gently in turn.

"Oh alright. Really, you're too much." As he said this, he reached for his watch, remembering when he patted the air that he'd given his coat to the child. Said child was looking a good deal better, the heat and food returning some more life into him. He stepped over and politely asked for it back, which the child happily conceded.

"Ten years though..." Marian murmured as he walked with Mana towards the door, Mana realizing that he should probably start making his way towards the post office to pick up the package, along with calling for a carriage to take him home.

"Yes, it went by so fast. It's too bad so many things changed, I thought your Irish accent was rather cute." Mana reminisced in the old memories, when they had been stupid kids. "Ugh, don't remind me. I sounded like a bloody incompetent moron." The red head groaned, Mana snorting and giving him a shove. "No, you were adorable, idiot. You should use it more often." He didn't mention how particularly fond he was of his accent, as he had a few more words to add alongside adorable.

Marian opened the door for Mana, pushing him out a little too quickly for Mana's taste, "Argh, com' off et yah buger. Dun' try dat stuf wif meh." Mana giggled as he shook his head, all smiles as he began to walk off. "See you later Marian. Make sure to dress in your Sunday best!" Marian returned the smile, making a snappy comment which resulted in another string of laughter from Mana.

"You better be there on time." He yelled as the other shook his head, closing the door, while Mana began making his way back, humming a tune as he left.

* * *

><p>As of so far, the party had been an enormous success, many high standings Lords and Ladies had attended the grand affair, the manor completely dressed up in head to toe in lovely decoration, not an inch of it unclean. The ballroom, which typically remained solitary and collecting dust during the year, had been cleaned, polished, and then beautiful decorated to suit the theme of the party. Filled with what seemed like endless lines of tables, all elegantly crammed with exquisite delicacies. Divine aromas arouse from the cooked meat, the ladies dainty filling their plates lightly, while the men dove in heartily, though remembering their manners as the dug into the delicious feast. Those who were not enjoying the buffet were gaily strolling about the grand building, making small talk with various acquaintances, as well as tailing the main star of the evening, his brother dressed handsomely and making rounds of chatting up any girls who caught his fancy.<p>

Though when he had been alone, Neah had come up to him and confessed that none of the ladies particularly attracted his attention, merely starting up a conversation for appearances sake.

And finally, those who were doing neither of the two activities had taken to dancing elegantly on the floor, partnering with their husbands, or with any gentlemen whom offered their hand to a lady. The gentle flow of music streaming from the hired orchestra setting the mood quite exquisitely, though unfortunately, the pianist whom normally performed with the orchestra had acquired a rather bothersome cold, preventing him from hearing and making it difficult for him to differentiate the tunes set out by the other members. Though Mana assumed Neah would take up his own piano that he'd gotten as a gift from Mother and show off to everyone his talent at some point later in the evening.

Truly, his brother could become a master of the piano if he actually placed more effort into, barely spending any time at all memorizing the pieces given to him by his instructor and preferring to create his own melodies through sporadic bouts of inspiration. Admittedly, he'd created quite a few brilliant pieces through his ways, he tried to tell Neah that in order to master his craft, he must first look at what the greats had done and learn from them. But his stubborn brother refused such, so Mana could only shake his head and allow himself to be lulled by the sweet notes played out.

Suddenly, the music stalled, a series of familiar notes from the piano across the room sounding through the room. The other guest, surprised by the sudden absence of music, turned to the direction of the sound.

Across the room was Neah on the piano, a smile gracing his features as his fingers began to glide across the keys fluently, the gentle notes slowly forming into a lovely symphony of music. And then, as he played, his voice sprang above the melody.

_And so, the little child fell into a deep sleep._

_Among the grey ashes, in the flames shining..._

_First one, then two..._

_Surfaces numerous of your faces_

_A thousand dream trickle back to the earth_

_On the night when the silver eyes were trembling, the shining you was born._

_Across millions of years,_

_the prayers have already returned back to the earth._

_I will still continue to pray._

_Please bestow upon this child your love._

_Upon joined hands, leave a gentle kiss._

Upon finishing his performance, the guest began to clap enthusiastically, some of the ladies wiping the tears which had formed at the edge of their eyes. The Lords nodding their heads sagely, approving of the peculiar little tune Neah had sung. One of the orchestra players went up to Neah, most likely to ask if he would like to perform with them. Strangely, Neah denied, getting up all too quickly from his seat and almost stumbling his way out of the room. Frowning, Mana's eyes furrowed in confusion, knowing it was unlike Neah to ever deny a chance at playing his beloved piano. He followed him up the flight of stairs, barely catching sight of him as he went into his room, closing the door, though not quick enough for Mana to miss the pain registered clearly on his face.

"Neah, is something the matter?" He inquired upon opening the door, darkness enshrouding him as he realized there was no source of light within the room. "No, its nothing. Go back and enjoy the party." Neah growled harshly, his attempt at hiding the pain which was evident in his tone failing miserably. Worried riddled across the older Walker brother's face as he walked over to see what exactly was the matter. Though with the lack of lighting, he couldn't see well at all.

"If it was nothing, you wouldn't be in here, so out with it." Mana muttered impatiently, poking Neah to get some sort of response, though he only flinched, gripping his head. "Fine, its a headache, okay? Now go away."

"You've had plenty of headaches in the past, what's different this time?"

"I-...I don't know, it's different somehow..." Neah murmured, partially to himself, a whimper of pain slipping past his lips as the annoyingly painful waves became sharp, throbbing needles which dug into his skull. "Just...leave..." Through gritted teeth, he tried to stand, only to fall to the floor and let out an agonized scream, Neah's eyes wide with terror and pain, clutching his head desperately, as though it would ease the pain. Stupefied, Mana stood there for a moment, before springing into action, trying to get Neah to stop thrashing about before he hurt himself even more. As he grabbed his wrist, he thought that the color of his skin seemed odd, but he dismissed it for a trick of lighting, as it was rather dark. He saw liquid begin to spew profusely from the top of his forehead, the black substance flowing freely down his face. Mana's blood turned cold as he recognized it to be blood, grabbing the first piece of fabric he could get his hands on, which happened to be a pillow.

He pressed it against the mysterious head wound, repeating soothing words to Neah as he caressed him affectionately. As suddenly as the pain had come, the tormented wailing stopped, as did Neah's thrashing. When Mana removed the pillow, he saw it had soaked up all the blood, though what had dried had formed a strange pattern along his forehead, which he again dismissed for the lack of lighting in the room. He set the pillow aside and began to scurry about the room, searching for some sort of candle, finding one with a few matches beside it, two out of three having already been lit. Striking the match against the drawer, he placed the flame close to the string attached, lighting the flame which quickly gave him a better grasp of his surroundings. Turning towards Neah, he nearly dropped the candle in shock, his pale skin having turned a harrowing gray color, as well as a strange set of stigmas across his forehead.

_What happened to you Neah? _Mana asked himself as he set the candle down on the floor, careful to make sure it would not be bumped and start a fire. He got down on his knees and scooped up his brother, whose eyes were shut closed for the moment. Gently, ever so gently, he traced the black scars, wondering what they meant. Surely it couldn't be anything good, but stories like demons and fairies were just myths made up to keep children occupied, right?

Upon being stirred, Neah's eyes twitched, before slowly opening, another gasp escaping Mana as the once, sable colored eyes were now like his own, a bright, stunning gold. He seemed confused, as Mana set him back down, having no idea what to make of the entire situation.

"Neah, are you...okay?" He questioned hesitantly, scooting back a bit to give him some space. Neah simply blinked at him, golden eyes filled with an unknown emotion, gazing about the room before returning his stare back to Mana. And then, he smiled. But not his usual smile. No, it was cold, full of malice, with intent to hurt, inflict unbearable pain to whomever came in its way. Suddenly, he found himself pressed against the wall, a strong hand gripping his neck tightly as the gilded hues widened sadistically, squeezing the breath right out of him.

"Mana." Neah crooned venomously, the words coming out of his mouth but the voice in which he uttered them not belonging to him. It was deeper, and much colder than anything he had ever heard from Neah.

"Mana, Mana, Mana." He repeatedly, cocking his head slightly as his smile turned into a malevolent scowl. "I'm going to kill you. Brother is going to kill you!" He simpered wickedly, laughing liking he had just something thoroughly amusing. Mana struggled against his grip, gasping for air as his vision began to fade away. The way he was held against the wall made it hard to kick out at him, and as the remaining oxygen in his lungs burned away, he heard an abrupt noise from somewhere, the taut grip on his neck disappearing as Neah was sent backwards by the force of someone barreling into him, a flash of red crossing Mana's vision as he sank to the floor. Gasping for air, his breath slowly returned to him, as did the clarity of his vision.

Marian was standing in front of him protectively, Neah on the opposite side of the room, tittering in a rather high pitched tone. "Nice. Oh, that was quite nice. I'll pay you back for that one, oh yes." He began to rise, the vindictive glimmer in his honey colored hues glaring dangerously at them, before suddenly widening. Neah's entire body froze, his expression stricken as the baleful look in his eyes disappeared. He took a step back, covering his mouth with a sickly colored gray hand, terror evident in his eyes. "I-did I-" Unable to form a complete sentence, he shook with fear, though Mana tried to stand up, reaching out towards Neah, wanting an explanation of some sort for his sudden change in behavior. This couldn't be happening.

Catching sight of Mana's weakened state, Neah fled, breaking the window before jumping from the second story, landing on the balls of his feet, and sprinting into the darkness.

A dream. Mana thought to himself as his vision began to fade, falling to his knees as the toll of the ordeal weighing heavily on his mind. This is all just a dream. I'll wake up in the morning, and Neah will look as he did this morning. Everything will be as it was.

Right?

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN;**_ _Wow, this was way longer than I had planned, but I had quite a few free periods during school due to subs, so I got a bit creative. Also, as I was writing this and planning future chapters, this fic might hint a bit at NeahxAllen. Or maybe I'll write a chapter for them. Who knows? So yeah, hope you liked it :D Please don't kill me Abby, this doesn't have a happy ending. _


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